Google Street View gets slapped on the wrist

$7 million settlement a drop in the bucket for giant tech firm.

After several years of litigation, Google has finally acknowledged that it violated people's right to privacy during the Street View mapping project,
settling the multi-state lawsuit for a mere $7 million.

As you know, Google Street View cars snap every nook and cranny of the planet to improve the popular mapping service. The data allows Google Maps equipped
GPS devices to display and navigate within 360 degree street level imagery. It works.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

However, regulators and privacy advocates discovered that the internet search behemoth was also "accidentally" scooping up passwords, e-mails and other
personal information from unsecured wireless networks using Wi-Fi receivers that were concealed in the Street View vehicles.

At the time, Google blamed the intrusion on a rogue engineer. But the FCC disagreed, saying that some of Google's managers knew about the engineer's plan
to capture the information. Google says the data was not used in any way.

Most Popular

While the $7 million fine represents the largest in U.S. history by state Attorneys General for violations of Internet privacy, but it's a pittance
compared to Google's roughly $50.2 billion in 2012 revenue. That's irking consumer rights advocates, and the 38 states and the District of Columbia will
have to split the fine between them.

A series of class-action lawsuits are still being appealed in San Francisco federal court.